New Delhi, April 22: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to relevant authorities regarding a petition alleging non-compliance with previous directives aimed at stopping untreated sewage from flowing into the Yamuna River from Vrindavan and Kosi in Uttar Pradesh. The case is scheduled for further hearing on August 4.
The bench, led by Chairperson Justice Prakash Srivastava, included expert members Dr. A. Senthil Vel and Dr. Afroz Ahmed. This hearing was prompted by a petition filed by Vijay Kishore Goswami through advocate Akash Vashistha, seeking enforcement of the NGT’s order related to Yamuna pollution issued on December 17, 2021.
The petitioner argued that despite the passage of considerable time, the directives to curb pollution and enhance sewage treatment infrastructure have not been implemented.
In response to the complaint, the Green Tribunal issued notices to the respondents and instructed the petitioner to serve copies of the petition to the respondents and file an affidavit of service at least one week before the next hearing.
The petitioner had previously raised concerns about untreated sewage and wastewater being discharged into the Yamuna and the Kosi drain near Sunrakh, highlighting deficiencies in the sewage treatment infrastructure.
In earlier proceedings, the NGT had appointed a monitoring committee chaired by a former judge of the Allahabad High Court. This committee found that the water quality in the lower stretches of the Yamuna in the Mathura-Vrindavan area was significantly worse than in the upper stretches, primarily due to the discharge of untreated wastewater.
The committee noted that the water quality in the lower stretches was deteriorating, clearly indicating that the drains discharging into the Yamuna in this region were responsible for the decline in water quality.
Additionally, the committee emphasized the need for adequate funding, strict monitoring, and afforestation campaigns to address the inefficiencies in bioremediation processes, irregular sewage flow, and to prevent encroachment on cleaned land.
In light of these findings, the NGT previously remarked that pollution continues and that the measures taken to rectify the situation are insufficient. It directed authorities to implement the committee’s recommendations, ensure the proper functioning of sewage treatment plants, and prevent the flow of untreated wastewater.
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